we just pulled an all-dayer

today we are taking a day of rest.
we took in just about as much of Easter Sunday as a family of four can take in.
my morning began at 4.30am when the alarm went off so i could throw the egg bake in the oven. amazingly, we got the kids and ourselves ready and out the door by 6.15 to find a little surprise spray painted on the new trailer and work truck. (we actually were shocked it took 2 1/2 years for the gangs to tag our vehicles since our neighbor's fence gets it just about quarterly)
our church has a easter sunrise gathering followed by an egg bake brunch every year and while it is crazy to get up and out the door, we are always glad when we do it. this year i was helping with the brunch, so there was no rolling over to turn off the alarm.
it was beautiful, in spite of the freshly falling snow! maybe that adds to the beauty of the resurrection. life seems all the more alive in the midst of mourning death. any bit of green just shines out of this snow (or in our case, simply HEARING about glimpses of new growth). my dad told me yesterday that the rhubarb is coming up in his garden.
the gathering at the edge of the frozen lake was small and brief and everyone huddled back to the brunch...which was fantastic! such a wonderful way to celebrate. by 10am most are on their way home to nap.
but, we headed to papa and mema's house for a quick easter egg hunt. zoom and cousin izzy cruised around the house searching for eggs. we were all thrilled to see matchbox cars and little figurines instead of the expected candy - thanks mom! check out the intensity in these two!
next it was off to hubby's family gathering. we thought about just dropping in for an hour or so, but zoom went out sledding with the older cousins and was having a blast! so we decided to skip his nap and spend some time with the family.
we thought if we arrived early to church that evening we might find it more relaxing, so we went there straight from the family gathering. naturally, zoom fell asleep on the exit ramp of the freeway, just blocks from church. he and i napped in the car for an hour then gathered with our church community. following the regular gathering there was, well, a dance party! one of our friend's was a d.j. in his former life and spun some great music. even zoom was out on the dance floor (covering his ears) dancing with the rest of us!
next year i'd like to be a little more selective about which activities we participate in, but considering the rushing about, we did pretty well!

looking for: toaster oven

ours finally bit the dust. well, actually, the toaster option bit it a few months ago, but we kept toasting our bread using the broiler option. until today when my bread went up in flames. both kids were still sleeping and the kitchen was FULL of smoke. thankfully i was able to blow out the flame - yes, thanks to my mama bear instincts i was able to summon enough breath to extinguish a piece of bread engulfed in flames. i still smell smoke in the kitchen, i hope i didn't damage the cupboards. but, the good news is that we are all alive!! and the house is still in one piece.

the toaster oven is on the back porch, along with the charred piece of bread.

and we are looking for a new toaster oven - thought i'd mention it. never know who is reading your blog...

zoom's response when he heard me say we are throwing it out, "but it still works" - is he my son or WHAT!?

hi pretty!

our latest favorite winter soup. very satisfying, very fresh! wish we had this last fall when we were swimming in kale....

Winter Lentil Soup
4 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale
1 TB olive oil
28oz whole tomatoes (but i used diced)
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1/2cup brown lentils
1TB fresh thyme leaves (i used 1tsp dry)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 fresh basil leaves (didn't use, but certainly will once the garden is going!)
parmesan cheese

slice the leeks in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/4 inch thick pieces. place in large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. drain and pat dry
remove the stems from kale, stack leaves and slice them into 1/2inch strips (you'll need at least 3 cups). heat the oil in a saucepan over med heat. add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes. add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. add the water and bring to a boil. stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper and basil. simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. serve with parmesan.

only if you have a home birth...

do you pull out a bag of frozen strawberries from the freezer only to discover it is your placenta.